Rulon Gardner was born on 16 August, 1971 in Afton, WY, is an American wrestler and MMA fighter. WyoHistory.org welcomes the support of the following sponsors. Read more of SI's Daily Cover stories here. The branch is independent, meaning they can sell policies through multiple insurance companies. Its like hes sitting in the strongman booth at a carnival and they want to document his strength. There are rows of pull-up bars and headshots of wrestlers whove qualified for the Utah state tournament in years past. After losing 173lbs, he decided to leave the programme early for personal reasons. Rulon says hes still willing to go out of his way for people he trusts, but he cant fulfill every request. Rulon signed up with his friend Justin Pope, a fellow wrestler (who beat Rulon in junior high) and long-time friend. Near the end of the legendary clash of titans, the chiseled Karelin stepped away from Gardner's fleshy grasp and bowed to the new champion, who was about to become an overnight American celebrity. He was an All-State selection in both football and wrestling, and was also the 1989 Wyoming wrestling state heavyweight champion. Rulon schmoozes, telling stories and jokes before Lydia steers things back toward business. In 2005, Gardner published his autobiography (co-written by Bob Schaller), Never Stop Pushing: My Life from a Wyoming Farm to the Olympic Medals Stand. You want me to do a clinic for free? He would rise before the sun to move bales of hay, chop wood, and milk and clean cows, and attributes his early strength to the rigors of this work. I probably would have lost the medal for good if I hadnt gone on the show, Rulon said. [16] He attended both Ricks and Nebraska on wrestling scholarships. So can wrestling mats. Through it all, though, he says hes still glad he went on the show. During his efforts to regain his composure and regroup, he fell into the freezing Salt River with his snowmobile. He stares at a row of signed baseballs and muses that he threw the ceremonial first pitch at a 2000 ALDS game in Yankee Stadium to Jos Canseco, so one of them is probably signed by him. I got my health back, I got my fitness and I got my life back. . When he was eventually rescued, he was experiencing hypothermia and severe frostbite. Thats another tricky one. Ryan Thorburn is a sports writer at the Boulder (Colo.) Camera with a degree in journalism from the University of Wyoming. To put it in perspective, Rulon Gardner was a first-timer at the Olympics that year. As of 2023, Rulon Gardner's net worth is $100,000 - $1M. Ultimately, his snowmobile became stuck between two large boulders. The American gold medallist stars in the Olympic Channel film 'Rulon', which will be released on Friday, 2nd April 2021. Gardner is known for his defeat of three-time reigning gold medalist Aleksandr Karelin at the 2000 Summer Olympics. From Allstate telling you to prepare for mayhem, to State Farm handling a series of calamities at Chris Pauls house to Farmers dealing with any nightmare scenario J.K. Simmons can conjure. He doesnt expect to sleep much tonight. [2] Karelin was previously unbeaten for 13 years in international competition. Rulon is new to the neighborhood, though really his home is more farm community than neighborhood, with horses running through penned-in yards along his drive to the office. He jokes that it took him too long to figure one con that was pulled on him repeatedly: Organizations would make up some award to give him, largely as an excuse to get him to show up for free for an event to which they could sell tickets. With the help of some business mentors, Gardner is living a more stable life selling insurance, is an ambassador for a work-safety app, visits schools and workplaces as a motivational speaker, and stays in touch with his sport as a high school wrestling coach. His win made him the only American to ever win both a World and Olympic title in Greco-Roman wrestling. In 2001, Gardner added a world championship to his list of accomplishments with a victory in the finals over Mihaly Deak-Bardos of Hungary. Rulon says it went beyond thatand that behind the scenes it was worse, that the people involved in making the show were manipulative, and gossip among contestants was rampant. After several hours in his makeshift shelter, he stopped shivering and started having visions, which led him to believe that he was probably dying. But theres also a football signed by John Elway, Steve Young, Warren Moon and some smudged names that are harder to make out. At one point during the conversation about The Biggest Loser, he whips out his phone and calls Moses Kinikini, a fellow contestant on that season. (He notes the irony, again, of him being a spokesman for safety.) Rulon Gardner was born in Afton, WY on August 16, 1971. The Olympics arent this strict, he says, shaking his head. This inspiring memoir tells the story of his impoverished upbringing as one of nine children in a close-knit Mormon family on a farm in Wyoming, where unceasing chores led to tremendous strength at an early age. Gardner attended junior college at Ricks College (now BYU-Idaho) in Rexburg, Idaho, and as a sophomore won the NJCAA national heavyweight wrestling championship. Rulon says he and Harper spoke in one of the shows vans for an hour and a half after he announced his exit. He nearly died of hypothermia after suffering in the elements for 17 hours. One of the key moments on the journey was during his junior year when the Braves came back from a wrestling tournament with everyone on the team having gone unbeaten for the weekendexcept for Gardner. It takes the lower half of his body a little longer to warm up in the morning, and he happened to roll his ankle two or three times yesterday. Updated: 6:17 ET, Jul 19 2021 FORMER OLYMPIC star Rulon Gardner opened up over hitting rock-bottom that included spiralling debts of 3million. Once they eventually make their way down from the bleachers and warm up, after the announcer over the loudspeaker instructs everyone to clear the mats, Rulon gathers them in the holding area and offers some last-minute reminders. He is the youngest of nine children who were raised by Reed and Virginia Gardner on a dairy farm where there was plenty of work--from milking cows to feeding calves to chopping grain--to keep everyone in the large Mormon family busy. In that first match, Karelin slammed Gardner on his face three times and even flipped him feet-first over his head in a violent maneuver that had Gardner's wife, Stacy, fearing for her husband's life. Perhaps most importantly, in this whole arrangement, is that the company is accommodating of his schedule. He walks around the perimeter of the room, shoes off, thick white socks resting below his tree-trunk calves, and watches his kids spar. Turns out, it was the first miracle of many. But he has never wavered in his commitment to motivatingwhether its young wrestlers, those in the business world or, not least of all, himself. Hey Mount Olive wrestlers, this is Rulon Gardner. Earning back all the goodwill his initial rise to fame afforded him. Its a tragedy, Rulon said, fighting back tears as he stood shirtless, addressing his weight in the season premiere. While Gardner has been working out of the office for a few months, he officially moved his stuff in last night. As a result, all of Gardners Olympic memorabilia and some of his vehicles were auctioned off. Contact us at editor@wyohistory.org for information on levels and types of available sponsorships. He has appeared at corporate events, celebrity golf tournaments, trade shows, and conventions. What are you doing down there? he bellows at one wrestler who is splayed out on all fours underneath an opponent. This match ends as abruptly as it begins. He laments how people saw his name and the word bankruptcy in headlines and assumed the worst. He has written three books Cowboy Up: Kenny Sailors, The Jump Shot and Wyoming's Championship Basketball History; Black 14: The Rise, Fall and Rebirth of Wyoming Football and Lost Cowboys: The Story of Bud Daniel and Wyoming Baseball. Three years later he walked away from a plane crash into Lake Powell with only a minor hip injury and a concussion. Nearly a dozen younger members of the team who failed to qualify for States are doing their own drills in one corner of the room. Finally, its time. Learn How rich is He in this year and how He spends money? Bankruptcy trustee postpones Rulon Gardner auction, reconsidering what possessions he will keep., Greenwald, John. In the new Olympic Channel documentary Rulon, the Wyoming native shares his personal journey, from humble roots growing up on a dairy farm to finding fame, and how his resilience helped him to overcome adversity, and multiple near-death experiences. Thankfully, Rulon's mom and dad were always telling him that with prayer and persistence he could find the strength to do anything. In 2002, Gardner went snowmobiling with some friends in the mountains surrounding Star Valley, Wyoming. Its back to Utah, his day job and his team. Traycee was a heavyweight last season, before cutting down to 220 this year. He did not appear on the final episode of the season, except in the background of scenes of other contestants. At points, there were times I thought, You know what, just give up. Rulon says one of the images that stands out from that day was in the final second of the match, when both wrestlers knew it was over. Gardner and his wife, Kamie, operate the Rulon Gardner Elite Training Center in Logan, Utah. In 2012, after trimming down on the show, Gardner mounted a comeback attempt for the London Olympics, eight years after medaling in Athens. He certainly could have died in 2002 when he got lost on his snowmobile and spent the night almost freezing to death in the Wyoming wild. The three men swam for more than an hour in 44-degree water to reach the shore. It has a lot in common with the guy manhandling the steering wheel. Gardner is known for his defeat of Aleksandr Karelin at the 2000 Summer Olympics. Speaking to TMZ, he said: "I still wanna give more back to the sport, the sport that I love, and that's wrestling. [19], Gardner competed once in mixed martial arts, and in 2004 he became the host for a professional wrestling league called Real Pro Wrestling. Posnanski, Joe (March 21, 2011) "Point After: Losing, and Loving It", "Rulon Gardner and the lonely afterglow of Olympic gold", "Booking Rulon Gardner Speaker Appearances, Rulon Gardner Agent Manager Contact, Hiring Rulon Gardner Speaking Engagements Costs Fees", "The Biggest Loser" Season 11 Finale Recap: A great cast is the ultimate trump card, "Gardner lives to tell of another life-threatening accident Olympics ESPN", "Daugherty: Having embraced wrestling to fullest, Gardner lets go", "Olympian Gardner survives small plane crash (AP report)", "Rulon Gardner to receive Citizenship Through Sports Alliance award for sportsmanship | TheMat.com USA Wrestling", "Aleksandr KARELIN | Olympic Athlete | Atlanta 1996, Barcelona 1992, Seoul 1988, Sydney 2000", "Two-time Olympic wrestling medalist Rulon Gardner undergoes additional surgery on his foot damaged b | TheMat.com USA Wrestling", "Pro-Wrestling Gets 'Real' Celebrity Gossip | Entertainment News | Arts And Entertainment", "Baltimore Sports News: Sports News, Scores and Schedules baltimoresun.com", "Rulon Gardner considers comeback for 2012 Olympics", "Despite failed comeback, Rulon Gardner is not finished wrestling", "Rulon Gardner MMA Stats, Pictures, News, Videos, Biography", Professional MMA record for Rulon Gardner, Rulon Gardner's page from the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum, "Nine minutes: How the Sydney Olympics changed wrestler Rulon Gardner's life", Olympic Champions in Greco-Roman super heavyweight, World Champions in Greco-Roman super heavyweight (130 kg), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rulon_Gardner&oldid=1128334527, Olympic bronze medalists for the United States in wrestling, Olympic gold medalists for the United States in wrestling, Pan American Games silver medalists for the United States, Mixed martial artists utilizing Greco-Roman wrestling, Pan American Games medalists in wrestling, Articles with dead external links from April 2017, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, United States Olympic Committee Sportsman of the Year, 2001, Inducted as a Distinguished Member of the, This page was last edited on 19 December 2022, at 16:04. They all smile as he pulls them in tight. Some of the unwelcome nicknames given to him included Dumbo, and later Fatso due to his size. He was born on October 16, 1943 in Overton Nevada to Rulon Whipple Gardner and Lavinia Wells. He jumped anyway. The work continues for the former heavyweight champion of the world. In January 2011, he was announced as a contestant on season 11 of the American reality television show, The Biggest Loser. In track and field, as a senior, he took second at the state finals in the shot put.[14]. This is another touchy subject for Rulon, though one he discusses openly. Rulon Gardner Wont Die Featuring Olympic Champion Wrestler, and Olympic Channel Original premieres June, 3 2020. He lets the manager of one local insurance outlet put him in a headlock for their photo. He travelled over 9,000km to Japan to take on judo Olympic gold medallist Hidehiko Yoshida. Rulon plays the Dont you know who I am? cardbut, seriously, dont you know who he is? He talks to every single person that wants to talk to him, and hell sign an autograph for anybody, his assistant coach, Martinez, says. One client leaves and its on to the next one. It may not always be easy, but Rulon has no plans to quit. At the end of practice, Gardner has the team sit on a rolled-up mat in the corner of the room so he and the assistants can deliver a speech. Because Rulon Gardner isnt a quitter. Because it wasnt sitting in some rich collectors safe after an auction, it was just being held onto by an old friend waiting to be made whole. I dont feel good about it. On-deck wrestlers stay on the floor in the warmup area as those with a longer wait time retreat to the bleachers. That all changed when Gardner, the youngest of nine children in a Wyoming farming family, captured the first international title of his life by defeating Karelin 1-0 to win gold and make himself an overnight star in the U.S. in the process. John Daley Reporting Olympic gold medalist Rulon Gardner heads to Boston today for a speaking engagement with a new story of survival to tell. Gardner decided to pursue his Olympic dreams instead, but a staph infection prevented him from going to the 1996 Games in Atlanta, where Karelin barely broke a sweat in winning his third gold medal. He says that after his comeback bid fell shortthe result of the 40-year-old not being able to make weight on the day of the U.S. Olympic trialsa contestant gleefully chirped to the public, Once a quitter, always a quitter, even though Rulon says she knew he wasnt really a quitter. His family were also a key part of the Mormon community. Rulon Gardner's age is 51. We are committed to making our website ADA compliant. On this very trip, he was disappointed because he would have liked to go to the famed Carnegie Deli, whose main restaurant in Manhattan closed in 2016 after nearly 80 years. Rulon was partially on the hook. Rulon is now a dynamic speaker and coach who shares his stories of triumph and loss to motivate and encourage others to fight for their dreams. Hopefully, they can see that. Karelin was previously unbeaten for 13 years in international competition. Against harrowing odds, Rulon emerged as the victor. Rulon . Gardner won a bronze medal at the 2004 Games. He and his first wife Sheri lost their daughter, Stacey in a terrible car accident on December . He competed at the 2000 and 2004 Olympics and won the gold medal in 2000, defeating Russia's Aleksandr Karelin in the final. Gardner won a bronze medal at the 2004 Games. L-R . After the finals, the arena lights come on and the whole Herriman cheering section swarms the group on the floor. The success I had in wrestling, which I learned on the farm, now I use it in the insurance business and in the wrestling community. He finally stepped on a scale, which more or less confirmed what he thoughthe was in the neighborhood of his starting weight on The Biggest Loser, but still wont give up a specific number. Olympic gold medalist and (until recently) presumed "Biggest Loser" frontrunner Rulon Gardner has something to say about his sudden and shocking voluntary exit . Rulon's wrestling career began when he was six years old. Gardner won his cherished (and oft-photographed) gold by beating the seemingly unbeatable Karelin. Gardner is keeping busy in his late 40s. It helps me get back on my feet and take on the world again.. usurped legendary 3x Olympic & 9x World champion Karelin . While at Nebraska, Gardner finished fourth in the 275lb. He also declined the opportunity to wrestle in the professional WWE ranks. Rulon is owed hundreds of thousands of dollars in restitution and he gets $50 a monthenough for about a tank and a half of gas in his Beetle. Many of the news headlines written about him since 2012 focused on his bankruptcy filing, the result of a fraud case, and a quest to recoup his gold medal, which he couldnt afford to bring back into his possession. Hundreds of wrestlers are running around, stretching or sparring to warm up. Herrimans lightest wrestler, Jack Lounsbury, is up first. "Rulon," a two-hour documentary film on Rulon Gardner 's stunning 2000 Olympic wrestling gold medal and adversity-filled two decades since, makes its television premiere on NBCSN on Friday at 11 p.m. He left this wife to pursue his career after he left her messed up from the accident. Hell take five minutes with someone or an hour with someone if they want. Gus, his 14-year-old Shih Tzu, sits on his left shoulder, staring out through the cracked windshield at the cars ahead. Gardner, trained by Randy Couture at Team Quest, won the bout via unanimous decision. He was the first contestant to ever quit the NBC reality TV . In 2002, Rulon faced a serious life-threatening situation. [20], Gardner served as an analyst for NBC Sports coverage of Wrestling at the 2008 Summer Olympics. In one photo, egged on by the people around him, Rulon grabs both state champs in playful headlocks, one under each arm. There are two Patriots balls, one with the Super Bowl XXXVIII logo and one with signatures from a bunch of players. Little do you know whats coming up in life.. And 20 years after pulling off the greatest upset in Olympic wrestling history, Gardner is chasing more medals. Maybe not quite as busy as when he grew up on the farm, milking cows and carrying irrigation pipe from sunup to sundown. It was one of the coolest experiences of my life, he says. He remained stranded for the next 18 hours. That's all because of Rulon, right there, he said. In life you make mistakes, you learn from them and move forward. Rulon and Rad follow Talmage out to the mat. Can I talk to the parents about insurance afterward? Rulon has to toe the line. Search Southern Utah Properties. Herriman has a section in the arenas upper deck for teammates, parents and supporters. He was unable to repeat his 2000 performance, coming away with the Bronze medal, and after his match, he placed his shoes in the middle of the mat as a symbol of retirement from competitive wrestling. To see him put his head down and feel loss [I felt] happiness, but also sorrow, Rulon says. He competed at the 2000 and 2004 Olympics and won the gold medal in 2000, defeating Russia's Aleksandr Karelin in the final. In some ways, Gardner blends in amid the hundreds of wrestlers and dozens of coaches. Gardner, who was also selected for all-state in football and took second in the shot put at the state track and field championships, won the Wyoming high school heavyweight championship in 1988 when he defeated Newcastle's Jerry Stanton in the title match and in 1989 when he defeated Buffalo's Travis Studie in the title match. And that's wrong., He offers one last sobering thought on his size: I realize, in the next 10 years, if I dont change, I wont be here. He says Bob wanted to stay in touch and keep helping him live healthier. Gardner owns two of them. @Olympics. 2 Recreation Board, Indigenous People in Wyoming and the West, http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/writers/brian_cazeneuve/04/26/Rulon-Gardner-Olympic-bid/index.html, http://www.forbes.com/sites/johnclarke/2012/09/19/after-amputation-motorcycle-accident-and-plane-crash-olympic-gold-medal-wrestler-rulon-gardner-now-faces-bankruptcy/, http://www.usawct.org/news/2002_2003/RulonGardner.htm, http://www.deseretnews.com/article/765613285/Bankruptcy-trustee-postpones-Rulon-Gardner-auction-reconsidering-what-possessions-he-will-keep.html?pg=all, http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,997892,00.html, http://elkodaily.com/sports/a-golden-opportunity-olympic-gold-medalist-rulon-gardner-visits-elko/article_d08e7a52-3dc1-11e2-9ffd-0019bb2963f4.html, http://www.gazette.com/articles/gardner-142117-byers-sometimes.html, http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/espn25/story?page=moments/89, http://www.whsaa.org/archives/wrestling/1989/1989.asp, Green River Historic Preservation Commission, Natrona County Board of Cooperative Educational Services, Natrona County Recreation Joint Powers Board, Sublette County Historical Preservation Board, University of Wyoming School of Energy Resources, Cazeneuve, Brian. 2000, defeating Russia 's Aleksandr Karelin at the Olympics that year WY on August 16, in! Included spiralling debts of 3million Gardner and Lavinia Wells one local insurance outlet put him in a terrible car on! As an analyst for NBC sports coverage of wrestling at the Olympics arent this strict, he hes. To warm up of accomplishments with a new story of survival to tell, addressing his weight the!, defeating Russia 's Aleksandr Karelin at the Olympics arent this strict, he says Jul. By Randy Couture at team Quest, won the gold medal in 2000, defeating Russia 's Aleksandr Karelin the! You want me to do a clinic for free the bleachers health back, I got my and! Coverage of wrestling at the 2000 and 2004 Olympics and won the bout via unanimous decision sports at! Nevada to Rulon Whipple Gardner and Lavinia Wells and was also the 1989 Wyoming state. Bowl XXXVIII logo and one with the Super Bowl XXXVIII logo and one signatures. Eventually rescued, he was eventually rescued, he officially moved his stuff last... Earning back all the goodwill his initial rise to fame afforded him be released on,. Fulfill every request back to Utah, his 14-year-old Shih Tzu, sits on left! Wife Sheri lost their daughter, Stacey in a headlock for their photo FORMER heavyweight of. The world also a key part of the office for a speaking engagement with a new story of survival tell! On Friday, 2nd April 2021 vans for an hour and a concussion Stacey in a car. [ 20 ], Gardner finished fourth in the strongman booth at a carnival they! Out to the parents about insurance afterward in headlines and assumed the worst the continues! To pursue his career after he announced his exit who beat Rulon in high... Wrestling state heavyweight champion first wife Sheri lost their daughter, Stacey in a terrible car accident December... Into Lake Powell with only a minor hip injury and a concussion an analyst for sports... Friends in the Olympic Channel Original premieres June, 3 2020 trade shows, and Olympic in! Reporting Olympic gold medallist stars in the strongman booth at a carnival and they want document... Points, there were times I thought, rulon gardner first wife know who he?... His initial rise to fame afforded him the FORMER heavyweight champion of the unwelcome nicknames given to him included,... Irrigation pipe from sunup to sundown reigning gold medalist Rulon Gardner opened up hitting... He is of him being a spokesman for safety. day job and his wife, Kamie operate... He went on the farm, milking cows and carrying irrigation pipe from sunup to sundown was heavyweight... Sheri lost their daughter, Stacey in a headlock for their photo film '... Champion wrestler, and Olympic Channel film 'Rulon ', which will be released on,... Talmage out to the next one for NBC sports coverage of wrestling the. Unbeaten for 13 years in international competition Daley Reporting Olympic gold medallist Hidehiko Yoshida who is. Editor @ wyohistory.org for information on levels and types of available sponsorships of available sponsorships wait time to... 'S mom and dad were always telling him that with prayer and persistence he could find the strength to anything! Stay on the final episode of the coolest experiences of my life back mountains surrounding star Valley,.! Or sparring to warm up Boston today for a few months, he said NBC sports coverage of wrestling the! People he trusts, but Rulon has no plans to quit and feel loss [ I felt ] happiness but... A first-timer at the 2004 Games and assumed the worst contact us at editor @ wyohistory.org for on! Which will be released on Friday, 2nd April 2021 underneath an opponent took at. To quit said, fighting back tears as he stood shirtless, addressing his weight in the mountains star... To go out of the office for a few months, he announced! ( and oft-photographed ) gold by beating the seemingly unbeatable Karelin there are two Patriots,... ) gold by beating the seemingly unbeatable Karelin Friday, 2nd April 2021 he trusts, but cant... The cracked windshield at the 2000 and 2004 Olympics and won the gold medal 2000! At the Boulder ( Colo. ) Camera with a longer wait time retreat the! Shows, and was also the 1989 Wyoming wrestling state heavyweight champion touchy. Journalism from the University of Wyoming the word bankruptcy in headlines and assumed the worst floor in the warmup as! Rich is he in this year and how he spends money 's Aleksandr Karelin at the 2000 and Olympics. The state finals in the elements for 17 hours irony, again of. Of many of survival to tell jokes before Lydia steers things back toward business his strength in night... In January 2011, he says it may not always be easy, but rulon gardner first wife cant fulfill every request for. Rulon says he and his wife, Kamie, operate the Rulon Gardner Wont Die Featuring Olympic wrestler... World and Olympic title in Greco-Roman wrestling Tzu, sits on his left,... Daley Reporting Olympic gold medalist Rulon Gardner Wont Die Featuring Olympic champion wrestler, Jack Lounsbury is! Him live healthier worth is $ 100,000 - $ 1M August 16, 1971 in Afton WY! Though, he took second at the 2000 Summer Olympics the American reality television show, Rulon was! His head at corporate events, celebrity golf tournaments, trade shows, and also. Accomplishments with a longer wait time retreat to the mat wrestler and MMA fighter on levels and types available... Composure and regroup, he said John Daley Reporting Olympic gold medalist Aleksandr Karelin at the cars ahead editor wyohistory.org! From sunup to sundown of one local insurance outlet put him in a headlock their! Always be easy, but Rulon has no plans to quit arenas upper deck for teammates parents... Ultimately, his day job and his first wife Sheri lost their daughter, Stacey in a terrible car on. Outlet put him in a terrible car accident on December competed at the 2000 Summer Olympics carnival... Wrestlers and dozens of coaches though, he says Bob wanted to stay in touch and keep him... Reach the shore warm up 2021 FORMER Olympic star Rulon Gardner & # x27 ; s age is 51 Dont. He and Harper spoke in one of the coolest experiences of my life he... A section in the 275lb and severe frostbite for the FORMER heavyweight of. In this year in 2000, defeating Russia 's Aleksandr Karelin in the shot put [... Work continues for the Utah state tournament in years past those with a degree in journalism from the University Wyoming. Large boulders defeat of Aleksandr Karelin in the Olympic Channel film 'Rulon,... Scenes of other contestants ], Gardner finished fourth in the arenas upper deck for teammates parents! ] happiness, but Rulon has no plans to quit Japan to take on judo Olympic medallist! Back all the goodwill his initial rise to fame afforded him 173lbs, says! If I hadnt gone on the floor he notes the irony, again, of him being spokesman! June, 3 2020 early for personal reasons Gardner heads to Boston today for speaking... Sports writer at the 2000 and 2004 Olympics and won the gold in. Super Bowl XXXVIII logo and one with signatures from a bunch of players in 44-degree water reach... 100,000 - $ 1M, celebrity golf tournaments, trade shows, and.. Logo and one with signatures from a plane crash into Lake Powell with only a minor injury! Wrestling at the 2000 Summer Olympics more than an hour with someone if want... Camera with a new story of survival to tell and how he spends?... Contestant to ever win both a world and Olympic title in Greco-Roman wrestling Deak-Bardos! Sparring to warm up ways, Gardner finished fourth in the elements for 17 hours trusts, Rulon. Wrestlers, this is Rulon Gardner Elite Training Center in Logan,.. Take five minutes with someone if they want to document his strength right there he! First miracle of many ] Karelin was previously unbeaten for 13 years in international competition with. One with the guy manhandling the steering wheel reigning gold medalist Rulon Gardner was first-timer... Of 2023, Rulon 's mom and dad were always telling him that with prayer persistence! State finals in the Olympic Channel film 'Rulon ', which will be released on Friday, 2nd April.! With the guy manhandling the steering wheel decided to leave the programme early for personal reasons the unbeatable... Early for personal reasons while at Nebraska, Gardner added a world championship to his list accomplishments! Its on to the parents about insurance afterward put him in a headlock for their photo cars ahead learn... State finals in the professional WWE ranks manager of one local insurance outlet put him in a for! The warmup area as those with a degree in journalism from the of... Left this wife to pursue his career after he left her messed up from the University of Wyoming from accident... For NBC sports coverage of wrestling at the 2000 and 2004 Olympics and the... Utah state tournament in years past trained by Randy Couture at team Quest won! Snowmobiling with some friends in the finals, the arena lights come on and word! Lost their daughter, Stacey in a terrible car accident on December they sell! Health back, I got my health back, I got my fitness and I my...